


Different Voices

by neuroticscales



Category: Homestuck
Genre: BroJohn is my otp, Gen, M/M, wow look more BroJohn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-26
Updated: 2013-10-01
Packaged: 2017-12-27 17:30:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/981671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neuroticscales/pseuds/neuroticscales
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Egbert was sweet, he was kind, and he was cute.</p><p>John Egbert couldn't talk.</p><p>Bro Strider was intimidating, a smooth talker, and hopelessly in love with John Egbert.</p><p>Bro Strider would learn John's language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mozukind.tumblr.com](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=mozukind.tumblr.com).



> This is a work based on an AU drawn by my friend!
> 
> It's sort of a drabble series sort of???? Sorta kinda????
> 
> Thank you for reading!

"He's what?" Bro exclaimed. Kanaya tilted her head to the side, just enough to be an adequate reply to his question. Bro simply stood and stared at her, apparently not understanding her silent response.

"You heard me, correct? John is mute," she said, after a small shake of her head. 

"Mute."

"Yes. He can't-"

"Talk. I know. That's...," at this, he took off his sunglasses and rubbed at his eyes. Kanaya gave him a surprised glance but said nothing of the removal of his ever-present eyewear. His amber eyes seemed to burn holes in hers of blue-green. "That's absolutely awful." She gave him a questioning glance, one expertly arched eyebrow raised, as if to say, "may we continue walking?" Bro gave a tiny shrug and began walking down the sidewalk with her again, thumbs hooked in his back pockets casually.

"I don't think he would appreciate pity at this point. He suffered from a throat condition that started somewhere in the womb; he's been like that since birth," Kanaya began. "He's practically been drowning in false empathy his entire life." Bro blew out a long stream of air that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in and gave his head a scratch.

"I'm not faking anything, it's just... I had no idea. I guess that's why he gets picked on, huh?" Kanaya nodded her head sadly. "I was wondering about that. People should be able to accept him. I mean, for god sakes, we're all adults here. He pulled a lot of shitty cards from day one and it really sucks, Kanaya," he replied. "It's not even his fault and it fucking sucks." Kanaya's mouth was in a tight line.

"Yes. But he makes the best of it. I've known John for almost a year now," she said. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, when Bro stopped at his dorm building.

"Well, this is me," he said quietly.

"Just staying in tonight, then?" Kanaya asked. Bro threw up his hands.

"Gotta learn some fuckin' sign language!" Kanaya chuckled under her breath. 

"You know, he can hear," she reminded him.

"Obviously! I've been talking to him, Kanaya, you know that," he said, raising his eyebrows so quickly that Kanaya was surprised they didn't fly under his hair. She "hmm"ed. "I'm learning it so he doesn't have to like, write shit down. I want to be able to understand it and talk to him in his language."

"Well, alright. Have fun!" Kanaya said in a sing-song voice. Bro flipped her off teasingly and trudged off to his dorm room.

\-----

"This is how you sign 'hello'," the woman on the informational video said, bringing her hand to her forehead in a salute-like motion and lowering it to her side. Bro repeated it, remarking on how easy the motion was. 

"I hope they're all this easy," he said quietly. He was unhappily surprised when he saw the next sign.

"This is how you sign 'how are you',", the woman said, this time doing three motions in a row. She brought her hands in loose fists to her chest, knuckles facing out, then opened them, still in the same spot, and pointed to the viewer. 

"Ah, shit," Bro said unceremoniously, and ran the video back. He watched two more times and completed learning the motion, very proud of himself. He practiced all night, memorizing the "important stuff". He had most of the proper greetings and phrases down by the end of the night, and almost all of the alphabet. At least half, if not more, of the signs for basic letters made sense- C was quite literally making a C with your hand, W the same- but some were more difficult. He had dragged himself through fingerspelling one more time and flopped down on his bed, exhausted.


	2. Chapter 0.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teeny, tiny flashback to Bro and John's first meeting!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so tiny, there will be more shortly!

Bro Strider's eyes flicked over the huge college campus when he saw a boy. Not just a boy, though. The boy. He had huge blue eyes, pale skin, perfectly touseled black hair- he was gorgeous. Bro wanted him, and he got what he wanted.

Thankfully, the boy was about to pass him when Bro swooped in, hooking an arm over the boy's lanky shoulders. Bro could've sworn he squeaked at the contact.

"Hi there," Bro said, walking along with him. The boy had never seen him before, and was thoroughly confused. Who was he? No one ever talked to him, so why was he? "I'm Dirk, but you can call me Bro. What's your name?" The boy swallowed hard but said nothing. Bro shrugged.

"Hmm. Silent type? I can deal. I have Music Theory next, what about you?" he continued. Again, the boy said nothing.

"What a weird kid," Bro thought, but shugged it off. Kid looked about 20, probably a freshman. He understood what freshman year was like. Not easy, that's for sure. 

Suddenly, the boy stopped in front of one of the huge buildings, bringing Bro to a halt. They looked at each other; the boy shrugged. 

"This you?" Bro asked. The boy nodded. "Well, you seem cool. And you're suuuuper cute, like wow." Bro cringed at how long he dragged out his words; he sounded like a teenage girl. The boy reddened, looking like he was to bury his chin in his neck. "And uh, in case you're interested, I'm room 13 in block 6." Bro cursed himself silently. God, he sounded cocky. But he strolled away, unaware of the boy quickly scrawling the information on his notebook as he walked into his dorm.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bro and John hang out for the first time; woo, college buddies!

John was nervous as he walked up to Bro's dorm room door.

"Just... just knock on his door. You can do it," he thought. A minute passed as he stood still and did nothing. "God dammit, just knock on the door! It's not like you can say something stupid, just do it!!" Fortunately, he didn't have to knock on his door. Because Bro opened it before he had the chance. John fumbled the books he was holding, one of them dropping to the floor. Bending down to pick it up, Bro touched his arm.

"I got it," he said with a smile. Suddenly, he looked puzzled and frowned at the thick volume. "Music Composition? Interesting. Surprised I've never seen you around before."

And John laughed. Well, it wasn't really a laugh. More of a breathy, hiccuping squeak. And it was adorable. Bro put a hand to his mouth to fake a cough, nearly unable to hide his huge grin. Slowly, he creaked open the door and swooped his arm into the space. 

"Come in." John nervously adjusted his glasses, gathering his courage, and walked into Bro's tiny dorm room. "Mi casa, es su casa." John gave that little squeaking laugh again and this time, Bro laughed with him. Bro sauntered over to his small loveseat and sat, patting the space next to him. John stayed where he was and looked around the space, brows knit together in worry.

"God, man, I don't bite. Just get over here!" Bro said with a chuckle. John shuffled over to him and huffed down onto the little couch. Their thighs squished together, bare skin on denim, and John yelped and pulled away quickly. "You okay, man? This couch is just really small, sorry. But I don't mind if you don't." John nodded, more of a head twitch than anything, slowly lowering his leg again. Bro's jeans were cool against the heat of his own bare leg. John took a long look at him for the first time, taking in the eyebrow piercing, blonde hair that looks like he was perpetually in front of a high-powered fan, the ridiculous sideburns. He was like a living, breathing cliche. In a good way, John guessed. He was, indeed, a very attractive man. 

Bro looked sideways at him and turned, swiveling his torso towards John. John nervously glanced down at the hands in loose fists at Bro's chest. He opened the hands towards each other, then pointed.

_How are you?_

John looked confused, then Bro saw the realization take place. John smiled, practically the biggest smile Bro had ever seen on such a small person. His eyes brightened, his eyebrows raised, his grin widened from ear to ear. He held his hands slightly above his head, and pushed his open hands towards Bro twice, then pointed with a quizzical face.

_Wonderful, you?_

Bro smiled genuinely, then pushed his hands out twice as well. They smiled at each other for a moment, until Bro noticed it was probably getting a little awkward. 

"Soooo... studying?" he trailed off. John giggled and opened his hands like he was reading, then placed a finger to the side of his nose and twisted it twice.

_Studying is boring!_

"You are a grown man, Egbert," Bro said. John stuck out his tongue. "But yeah, studying sucks." Bro tossed his book to the side. "What do you want to do instead?" John shrugged, looking way too coy for a twenty-one year old man. Bro reached over John's lap for the remote and turned on the TV.

"You watch Shezow?" Bro asked, flipping to the right channel. John shook his head "no". "Oh dude, it's amazing! It's about a crossdressing superhero, what's not to like?" John laughed again, just as cute as every other time before. Making John laugh was probably Bro's favourite thing. Not that he'd ever tell him that. Feelings are gay, fuck feelings! They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, engrossed in the children's show, until Bro hung his arm over John's shoulder. John looked like he was about to die. In a negative or positive way, Bro couldn't figure out. 

"That okay?" he asked, about to pull away. John nodded "yes" and gave him a tiny smile. They sat for a while again- content with not speaking, just watching their show- until John saw the time. He popped up, shrugging Bro's arm off his shoulders and jerking his thumb at the clock. 

"Oh, you gotta go?" Bro asked, a little confused. John nodded emphatically. As he started to walk off, Bro touched his arm.  
"C'mon, man, give me some sugar." He held his arms out for a hug. John smiled and complied, head resting solidly on Bro's chest. The hug lasted longer than was probably necessary; when John pulled away, he looked hesitant and began to sign. His hands were shaking. 

_Can I kiss you?_

Bro was speechless. He sputtered for a moment before he finally got out, "yes." John leaned forward and placed a tiny kiss on Bro's bottom lip, pulling away shyly. He smiled and turned to go again, when Bro turned him around again and quite literally swept him off his feet, (god, that kid was tiny), with a kiss. It was sweet and passionate and beautiful and god, Bro had wanted to do that for a while. When they pulled back, John was practically seeing stars; he touched his lip lightly. He then tapped his glasses and pointed at Bro.

_See you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the cutest fucking thing I've ever written. 
> 
> Also, html-ing is a bitch.
> 
> Also also, my Shezow love is showing.


End file.
